What do you think is the most beautiful US coin?

Believe it or not, this one isn't even close to the prettiest SLQ toner I've ever seen. If you like this one, there was one on eBay maybe 18 months ago that would have made your head spin. SLQ toners are out there, but you have to be patient about finding them, because they're exceptionally rare, especially if you want nice toning as opposed to just a little brown or golden color.

Oh, and, btw, gold coins do tone. Usually it's because the copper in the alloy isn't evenly mixed, so the copper tones, while the color is still visible on the surface. Pretty much the only thing that will actually tone gold is direct contact with sulfur for an extended period.

 

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How does that happen? I know people fake it but how does it happen naturally? I’ve seen my silver coins tarnish and tone but never in beautiful rainbow colors.

Is it just a random thing that happens to some coins and that person is just lucky?

 

Yep, it's pretty much random.

I have an ASE that ended up with some pretty high end toning because the guy who sold it to the dealer I bought it from kept his ASE collection in his auto shop, so his wife wouldn't get mad about how many coins he had. I have no idea if it was chemicals from the shop or something like cardboard (which is a very common cause of toning), but it turned out nice.

 

Do you think it could happen to this ASE? It doesn’t really look great right now but I noticed even the beautiful one had blackish purple on the outside.

This one was left in a gun safe with ammo so idk if the residue of chemicals affected it.

 

1907 $10 J-1775/1903
https://www.pcgs.com/coinfacts/coin/1907-20-j-1776-1905/62238

 

That is exactly what happened. I learned my lesson the hard way with a $500.00 MS65 Type I SLQ. It turned a hideous black. And it was in a TPG slab. That occurrence is what brought me to Coin Talk searching for an answer and I'll share what I was enlightened with.... The chemicals we use to clean our firearms is a chemical designed specifically to break down copper and you know that when you first open that safe, that odor is quite pungent for a moment. But it is exactly that odor that is doing damage to your coins while that door is closed..... If you have no other choice, place your coins in a Ziplock type bag and then into a Tupperware box before you put them in the gun safe.

 

I am with you. While I appreciate St. Gauden's artistry, (I actually prefer the $10 Indian versus the $20), coins struck for commerce I could never vote against the buffalo nickel. NOTHING says America like this coin. For non-circulating coins, I simply do not know how the Oregon Trail commemorative half cannot be in everyone's top coins:


THAT is America.

I give honorable mention as well to WL half dollar. I used to break into my mother's plastic bank when I was 4 every day to look at the worn WL half in there. It is what made me a coin collector.

 

The most beautiful US coin.

 

Most beautiful U.S. coin? I'll stick with tradition.



In second place ...

 

Holy ritzofratz!!!!

 

This gets my vote, three times!

 

There are so many beautiful US Coins, the Walking Liberty Half Dollar is my favorite.

 

I couldn't pick just one

 

For gold coins it's the inclused design Indians. On silver coins, a Bust series coin and for copper, I'm still waiting.

 

Well, Saint Gaudens has already been chosen so I'll go with a foreign 'Una and the Lion' from Gibraltar 1997! This one is super rare as this Half Sovereign size in Cameo was minted at only 150! And to showoff another, here's the gold half dollar to boot!

 

You do realize it's on a coin a bit larger than 1" in diameter, right ? Not an oil painting 2 feet square ?

You have Lady Liberty striding forward...carrying a torch.....rays of sunlight.....the Capitol Dome.....a majestic Eagle on the reverse.

And in high relief ? Majestic.....

 

Tens of millions, easily. You really need to be a billionaire like Bob Simpson.

I think most people are content to have a few Saints based on type...maybe a High Relief....and have lower-graded commons in liu of regular gold bullion.

 

Everybody gets to have their own opinion. I think it's one of those things where everybody says it's the best design ever just because everybody else says it's the best design ever. Thus it's fair game for honest criticism.